Practical Help & Advice on Small Office Computer Storage

Three of the Most Common Computer Problems

3 of the Most Common Computer Problems
…and What to Do About Them

With computers being such an integral part of our day-to-day lives, it's little surprise that computer problems can quickly turn our worlds upside down. Having a computer that won't turn on, one that's unbelievably slow or one that is acting plain weird can be a frustrating yet all-too-common experience. Thankfully, with a little effort on your part and access to an expert computer support team, the most common computer problems can be resolved quickly and efficiently.

Computer Problem Number 1: The Computer Won't Turn On

Believe it or not, one of the most common computer problems involves simply getting the computer to turn on. So if you hit the power button and nothing happens, there are definitely a few things you'll want to check. First, as obvious as it may seem, check the power supply. Is your computer plugged into to the power strip and is the power strip turned on? Ensure that the power cable is firmly seated in the power slot on the back of your computer as well.

If your power cables are all plugged in and connected, it's time to start looking elsewhere for a diagnosis. Does the computer come on but just not show anything on the screen? If so, check your monitor cables, and also make sure that the cleaning crew didn't inadvertently change your monitor contrast and brightness settings as they were touching up your workspace.

If that doesn't work, it's time to contact your computer support team. They can replace the computer's power supply if it turns out to be the culprit, and they can likely troubleshoot any other potential causes.

Computer Problem Number 2: The Slow-as-Molasses Computer

Your computer ran as fast as lightning when you first got it, but now, it seems to take forever to do something as simple as open a new Web page or save your Microsoft Word document. What's happening? Before you contact your computer support technicians, check a few things for yourself.

A common complaint, slow computer problems are typically caused by a combination of simple things adding up. Do you have lots of files in your Recycle Bin? When was the last time you deleted files from your Temp folder?

Having leftover files cluttering up your hard drive can negatively affect your computer's performance. Also, performing a Disk Cleanup or Disk Defragmenter on your computer on a regular basis is a good idea; this process removes unnecessary files and streamlines your computer's performance.

Check, too, to see how many programs your computer is loading on startup—you can do so by going to Start, then Run, then typing in msconfig. Uncheck all but the items you really need to have available as soon as the computer boots, and you'll likely speed up your computing experience.

Computer Problem Number 3: Weird Computer Glitches

Has your computer simply not been acting like itself lately? If you've noticed your computer freezing up, giving you a blue screen, slowing down for no apparent reason or even doing something as annoying as switching the home page on your Internet browser, there's a good chance you're dealing with a virus or malware.

For problems like this, your computer support team can serve as an excellent resource to get you back up and running, but there are a few things you can do yourself.

First, ensure that your virus definitions are up-to-date, and then run a full scan of your system. Next, run your anti-malware/anti-spyware program to see if it identifies threats.

Depending on what your software finds, you may be able to remedy the problem yourself by quarantining or deleting the offending files, but if you're uncertain at all, this is one of those tasks that may be best left to your computer support technicians. Don't be afraid to give them a call.

Scott Gordon is the Chief Operating Officer at Dataprise. His expertise on computing comes from years of overseeing strategy and operations for Dataprise’s technical services. Dataprise specializes in providing IT services such as managed IT services and computer support for growing businesses.